Monday, August 29, 2011

This is a family you are going to want to remember. Bookmark this post, hit the "like" button on the left side of your screen and copy and paste that link into your email and Facebook and tell the people you know about this family. They all deserve it.

The last year has been really rough on me. The hardest I ever have experienced. I have gone through things I never thought I would have had to experience. They say that life is a balance of holding on and letting go... Every day I am caught in between and have absolutely no idea where I belong in my grief.

August 3rd was the one year anniversary of my hardest day and I had struggled to find a way to commemorate the day in a way that would both acknowledge it, and not involve spending it hiding under the bed, waiting for it to be all over.

That's when I got Stephanie's email.

Stephanie is the mom of three AWESOME little boys. Five year old twins, and a three year old... with a baby girl on the way. They are all charmers, with big eyes, flirty eyelashes and amazing curly hair that any of us would envy. She wanted to do a session to commemorate the summer. A summer spent by the pool, playing in the sunshine and just enjoying this time before baby comes. She wanted the session to reflect just that. Her life, surrounded by her kids and memorializing this pregnancy.

The only person who wouldn't be able to be in the pictures was Daddy. Stephanie's husband was called home to be with Heavenly Father earlier this spring. He passed away without warning in his sleep.

It was then I knew where I was supposed to be on August 3rd. And that is where I went.

The boys are awesome little rocks. They kiss their Daddy's picture good night every night. They chatted about him with smiles on their faces. When they are old enough, they are going to take great care of their mom and baby sister Johnna, who was just born last Monday. :)

For this session, we hung out by the pool. The boys swam, just like their dad did, every day of his life. Afterwards the whole family went for a ride in dad's pride and joy, his GORGEOUS VW Bus! So shiny, new, and perfectly restored! Go Stephanie for driving it! We finished up the session by spending some time running around like lunatics in the parking lot before our little fruit-picnic on the shores of the lake by their house. The boys did great!

Now that baby Johnna is here, there are four little munchkins who Stephanie is going to be taking care of by herself. A fund for their education has been set up in memorium of their dad, Justin. If you feel so inclined, Kellen, Grant, Lennox & Johnna Justin (named after her daddy) would be so grateful if you could lend a hand, or share this link.

Please feel free to share the links to this blog post on your blog, Pinterest page, Tumblr page, Facebook, MySpace or email. You are welcome to repost the video anywhere you see fit. It's for the kids, and when it comes to the kids, I think we would all do anything.

The PayPal donation below will take you directly to an account set up for Kellen, Grant, Lennox & Johnna.

If you would prefer, you can also send a contribution the old fashioned way to the family's financial advisor:

Please share all the love you have for this special, special family. I spent the anniversary of my worst day with them, and they made it immensely better. The spirit of being around young children is always joyous, but being around this family is something I will always remember and think of often.

Monday, August 22, 2011

I know, I know, spitting image of Kim Kardashian, right? But I swear, it's not really her. Terra is way, way cuter. ;) Terra, is however, practically just as famous. Terra won a multi-page spread in Real Weddings Magazine this year in a bridal contest! Kale is just as fab working for the magazine himself (and rockin' the Bono shades) and hauling in such stunner wedding guests like Wendy Sipple, THE editor of the magazine herself. STAR-STUDDED I tell ya, STAR-STUDDED! I also got to work alongside Frontside Films for the first time, something I squealed like a pig over at least four times (okay, maybe five). More to come!
You can check out their engagement film, shot by Frontside last year HERE!

Okay, so Sara & Mike are in it, but one of my PICTURES IS IN IT! CREDITED!

I have been PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES!!!

AHHHHH!

:D

I was trying to explain this to someone not familiar, but the NY Times Wedding section is not like any other wedding section of any other paper in the country. You can't just submit an announcement and get your name in the paper. You have to be "worthy," you have to have a good story, you have to jump through some hoops, have a picture of high enough quality to print, be good looking, have eyebrows of equal height (???) and a bunch of other secret, mysterious criteria that causes only 20 or so announcements (only a few of which get full articles) to be published on any given Sunday despite the fact thousands of couples marry in the tri-state area every week- And Sara & Mike didn't even get married in New York. They got married in Glen Ellen, California. Yep. And they got in. With my pic. Cuz I'm the shizzzzz.

Okay, maybe they are the shizz, but you were going to find that out anyway once you read the article. :) They are one of the most amazing couples I have ever worked with; I am so proud and blessed to have been able to have been there with them on their wedding day. Mike & Sara initially met through the Peace Corps, but didn't date until much later. You can read a little more about that in their engagement post, HERE and watch their engagement film, shot in Washington DC, where they reside.

... (and back to squealing...) Can't wait until the morning when I can buy my copy of the paper! :D

Friday, August 12, 2011

Roman & family will be moving oh-so-shortly to the East Coast, adding to my ever growing group of DC clients, but we managed to squeeze in this one session before daddy had to leave. Roman made it just in time! (And so did I!)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

A wedding that spanned THREE states in a single day, errr... two states and a district... it's a marriage that will last for time and all eternity. Congratulations Carter & Jess... Your wedding is finally complete!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Oh how I wish all my groomsmen were this deranged. LOL It was a girl's dream come true! Disturbingly hairy legs, socks pulled up to their knees, and absolutely willing to do anything and everything I asked them to, with PLENTY o' their own ideas, I gotta tell ya. DREAM. COME. TRUE.GROOMSMEN + CRAZY = AWESOMENESSYESSSSSSS!

Okay, hello there supaman... (awesomenessss)

They were so hot, they were steaming up my lens, SEE! [insistent hissing and pointing](check out steamy groomsmen's head, oh yeah!)(Definitely wasn't because my sweaty hands were all over it, I assure you.)